Packing of rotary steam-engines



G. SIOKELS. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 18,063. Patented Aug. 25, 1857.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- GERARD SICKEL S, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PACKING OF ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 18,063, dated August 25, 1857.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GERARD SIGKELS, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Packing of the Rotating Heads of Rotary Engines and Pumps to Their Cylinder-Heads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, maklng a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a central section taken parallel with the axis of a rotary steam-engine with my improvement, such parts as are not necessary to explain the invention being omitted. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken perpendicular with the axis, the cylinder being shown in black outline, and the revolving head and its appendages in red outline. Fig. 3 is a side view of the revolving head.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures.

This invention consists in a novel mode of applying a packing ring to pack the revolving head to the cylinder heads of a rotary engine, by which the friction is made very slight and the leakage effectually prevented at a less cost for fitting than the modes of packing ordinarily employed.

A, is the stationary cylinder, having heads B, B, movable for the insertion of the revolving head 0, which carries the pistons, and provided with a stationary abutment a, on opposite sides of which are the induction and eduction ports 7), 0. The revolving head C, has its ends turned to fit loosely between the cylinder heads B, B, and has its periphery turned truly to work in contact with the abutment a, and is provided with radial slots, d, d, to receive the sliding pistons. The cylinder heads contain grooves e e to receive studs on the ends of the sliding pis tons, said grooves being of proper form to cause the pistons to be drawn into the revolving head before they arrive at the abutment and to be forced out again after they have passed the abutment. The pistons and the mode of fitting them need not be particularly described, as their construction and operation is supposed to be well understood, and my invention does not relate to them.

9, g, are the two metal packing rings which pack the revolving head C, to the two cylinder heads B, said rings being thin enough to be slightly flexible in a direction parallel with their axes, and having an external diameter not less but preferably somewhat larger than the revolving head, and an internal diameter so much less than the revolving head that when they are placed against the sides of the revolving head to which they are fitted and ground a sufficient surface is allowed to rest against the revolving head to prevent the escape of steam between them. The external peripheries of these rings are made conical, leaving the largest diameter nearest the side which fits to the revolving head 0. Each is cut through at one point, so as to be capable of expanding diametrically, and the out should be fitted with a wedge-piece to complete the ring when the cut opens.

h, h, are two rings bolted to the ends of the revolving head C, and having rabbets cut in them in the sides next the revolving head, to receive the packing rings, which fit loosely in these rabbets, as shown in Fig. 1. These rings h, k, are merely for convenience of holding the packing rings to facilitate their insertion into the cylinder in their proper places, and form no positively essential feature of my invention.

z, 2', are channels turned circularly in the interior faces ofthe cylinder heads B, B, the diameter of the. inner circles of said grooves being considerably smaller than the internal diameter of the packing rings g, g, and the diameter of the outer circles being such as to allow conical seats 8, s, to be formed to receive the conical peripheries of the packing rings as shown in Fig. 1.

The action of the packing rings, during the operation of the engine, is as follows On the steam side of the radial pistons the pressure of the steam against the inner faces of the rings at the first start tends to force the rings away from the cylinder head, but this, making a leak, allows steam to pass the rings and fill the channels i, 2', all the way around the cylinder, after which the pressure is alike on both sides of the rings on the steam side of the pistons, as the channels are kept filled with steam which continues to leak past the packing rings; but as on the exhaust side of the pistons there is an inferior pressure on the inner sides of the packing rings, the steam in the channels z',z', presses whatever parts of the packing rings may at any time be on the exhaust side of the pistons to a tight joint with the revolv-- ing head, and at the same time presses and eXpands the ring outward against the seats 8, s, in the cylinder head; thus it will be seen that the packing is only tight where it is at any time required, and not all the way around the revolving head and cylinder heads as in other rotary engines. The packing rings revolve with the head C, and all the friction is between them and the cylinder heads, and on but a portion of the rings at a time, which portion is constantly changing so that the whole of the peripheries of the rings are worn equally. To prevent any accidental slip of the packing rings away from the revolving head C, they may be compelled to revolve therewith by pins inserted into the said head through holes in the rings, but this is not absolutely necessary.

The advantage of employing packing fitted as described is that the revolving head will not am the rings but the latter will accommodate themselves to any inaccuracies in the wearing surfaces of the cylinder heads or in the revolving head or main shaft.

My invention is applied to rotary pumps in substantially the same manner as to r0- tary engines used as motors, as herein described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

The application of loose metal rings 9, g, in the manner substantially as herein described, to pack the revolving heads, which carry the pistons, to the stationary heads of the cylinders of rotary engines and pumps.

GERARD SICKELS.

WVitnesses WM. HAUFF, W. TUSOH. 

